At least 72 individuals have been charged in an online child pornography ring in which participants allegedly used an Internet bulletin board to trade images and videos of adults involved in sexual activity with children 12 years old and younger. The U.S. Departments of Justice and Homeland Security announced August 3 that indictments had been unsealed in U.S. District Court for the Western District of Louisiana, with 52 of the 72 defendants already in custody.

According to the agencies, arrests were made in a total of 14 countries. A total of 13 defendants have pleaded guilty so far, and four have been sentenced to prison terms of up to 30 years.

According to the website PCWorld.com, the investigation began in December 2009 when the federal agencies “launched Operation Delego, targeting members of Dreamboard. Members of the online message board created a ‘massive private library’ of pictures and videos of adults molesting children, the agencies said.”

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